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Germany Considers Legalising Speed Camera Warnings
Article by: maft
Date: 20 Sep 2012
The German Transport Minister, Peter Ramsauer, has announced that they are looking into legalising speed camera warning systems such as our own CamerAlert database. At present German law is a bit of a grey area to say the least - speed camera warnings are classed as a detection method and are currently illegal to use according to German law. However it is up to each state/area to actually decide if they will adopt this law and, again, whether they bother to enforce it. Our opinion is that they don't and that is why we still include the German cameras in our database.
The proposals seek to allow the use of location-based warning systems but still keep actual radar detectors illegal. The argument put forward is one that we're all familiar with here in the UK "If speed cameras were installed at accident black spots, it would be useful if as many people would be made aware of this hazard." (translated by Google)
There is, as always, some opposition - this time from the Green party. Winfried Hermann says "Who wants to allow detectors makes himself the accomplice of a rule violator." (translated by Google and Lutz)
A possible side effect of allowing Speed Camera warnings to be used would be that they may also put up camera warnings signs on the roads. According to Jacqueline Grünewald of ADAC (a German drivers' association) this is "because not every driver has a GPS or a smartphone". ADAC have also said "We know of no case in which a motorist was prosecuted" for using a smartphone camera warning app - again confirming our own opinion.
One interesting loophole that is pointed out is that it would be perfectly legal for a passenger to use such a warning device and simply tell the driver! I wonder if that would work in France?
So, what do you think? Do the proposals make sense? Should Germany allow the use of camera warnings (but not active detection) much the same as we do here in the UK? Or do you have a different take on the proposals?
Sources: http://www.tagesschau.de/inland/blitzer106.html and http://www1.wdr.de/themen/panorama/blitzerwarner100.html
| Comments
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 Posted by spook51 on Sat Sep 22, 2012 2:16 pm |
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I think this is about speed camera locations rather then being pulled over, a rather different method of enforcement. Cameras have been used in Germany since the 1960s when my Dad showed me photo of the back of his staff car as it passed a concealed camera so this proposal to make locations publically available without the risk of penalty has been a long time coming!
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